PHASE I

A440Hz Electromagnetic Explorations is a new artistic practice and physical theory, rooted in both ancient wisdom and theoretical physics, that connects the existent electromagnetic spectrum with human hearing, consciousness and the periodic table of elements.

It is our intent that this A440Hz theory engages a realization of our human relationship to spectrum resonance and a recognition that this energetic capability exists within us all.

The Directors of A440Hz, Celia King and Joel Snowden, originally created this concept through a series of conversations in the fall of 2005, pulling on both their expertise and disciplines to formulate an experimental theory that could achieve, through the arts, a recognition of the human relationship to electromagnetism.

In 500 B.C., Pythagoras ‘discovered’ a 2:1 ratio between musical octaves. The A440Hz theory applies this musical ratio to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, consciousness and the periodic table of elements.

Using a piano keyboard as a guide, we drew an 80-octave map of this extended spectrum across one forty-foot wall in the studio gallery, to reveal a number of emerging patterns that continue to drive this unification theory.

This octave patterning illustrates that western standardization of musical pitch (A440Hz) is out of synch with the first of the Schumann Resonances, a series of tones built up between the earth’s crust and the edge of the ionosphere – these tones are ‘known’ to be necessary to all biological life on the planet.

 

We hosted a series of previews in June 2006 to introduce the concept to an open group of artists, mathematicians, musicians, architects, performers and scientists. The discussions inspired by the A440Hz theory, and the resulting feedback demanded two more public previews in July.

 

In November, 2006, encouraged by the response, we applied to the Canada Council for the Arts, Inter Arts, New Artistic Practices, to create a multi-disciplinary collaboration of this theoretical concept. As interest in the project spread, three more public previews were held in December and January 2007.

 

PHASE II

In March, the Canada Council awarded A440Hz funding under the Inter-Arts Program, and we sent a Request For Expressions of Interest out to Vancouver artists within our sphere (Celia through Misanthropy, and Joel through Pointless Hysteria), describing the concept and timetable of the proposed project.

In addition, we applied to the NewForms Festival 2007 Re:Use and were awarded the Artists Residency Program at Open Studies, to culminate in a performance night September 6, 2007.

Artist interviews were scheduled at the studio gallery from May to June before launching into a rigorous schedule of interactive labs and workshops, working towards the A440Hz Visual Art Installation and the NewForms Residency in September.

 

Celia researched, edited and constructed the A440Hz Artists’ Book, an encyclopedic collage of scientific data, history and facts covering this extended electromagnetic spectrum. This hand-built book is integral to this new artistic practice, assisting each of the Artists in their understanding and encouraging them to creatively alter the book as a reflection of their practice. Joel compiled a comprehensive companion DVD, filled with video loops, audio samples and picture files of all the extended electromagnetic spectrum from public domain resources.

 

Fourteen visual artists, eight musicians, four poet performers and three multi media artists comprised the A440Hz collaboration.

Visual Arts by: Erica Stocking, Eben Bender, Michael Black, Emma Lehto, Peter Taylor, Ken Roux, Joel Snowden, Angela Fama, Mandy Hardwick, Char Hoyt, Robert Mearns, Office Supplies Inc., Celia King and Olo J. Milkman

Music by: Alison Roy, Rupinder Sidhu, the listener, Vincent Parker, The Emetics: Kedrick James and Doni Klassen, Frederick Brummer and Square Root of Evil: Jen Pearson

Spoken Word performance by: Nadia Chaney, R.C. Weslowski, eightprime and a ‘soundwalk’ by Lesley Ewen

Multimedia visuals by: Krista Lomax, Mark Yuen and eightprime

 

PHASE III

The Artists Books and DVD’s were handed out at the first lab when the entire team met for the first time. The multi-disciplinary group met for presentations, workshops and discussion groups throughout the summer, each lab designed to further investigate the A440Hz theory.

Eight-foot high panels were constructed for each section of the extended electromagnetic spectrum and assigned to the visual artists, curated for their individual interests and expertise. Standing together in a line, these panels represent all modes of vibration that exist in our universe.

The musicians re-tuned their instruments, both analog and digital, to meet earth’s resonance, and several re-tuned strings were recorded for everyone to sample. The visual artists were filmed at work on their panels and their artwork was documented for use by the multimedia performers, while the poets were engaged in finding the words and a way to describe this ancient mix of musical mathematics and new scientific physical facts.

 

In August, A440Hz hosted a public lab, where the extended electromagnetic spectrum and its octave mapping was presented one more time before the installation of the visual arts panels. Musicians performed their work-in-progress in this informal atmosphere to an attentive new crowd.

 

The labs now gave way to individual artistic labor. The studio became a workshop, open around the clock for the visual artists to work on their panels and the poets and musicians to discuss performance details.

The A440Hz Residency with NewForms afforded us the time to design the multimedia and performance collaborations and program the flow of the performance night: the evening would begin with the low frequencies in the periodic table of elements (spoken word and ambient musical compositions) and rise towards the higher frequencies of x-ray and gamma radiation (electronic beats and noise compositions). The three multimedia artists compiled all the visual data to improvise their way through this flow.

In addition to opening NewForms Festival with SWARM Festival’s Main Street Celebration, A440Hz invited a parent-run group of children, the Science Club for Girls, to attend a special presentation early in the evening, where they engaged in controlled audio and video feedback with sound activated visual projections and instructional sound games.

 

One week later the Visual Art Installation opened at the A440Hz Gallery. The visual art created for the installation includes found objects and interactive video feedback components, phonetic text and braille, shortwave radios, photography, acrylic, ink and oil paintings, black-lit collage and video projections.

Accompanied by music compositions and spoken word performance from the NewForms Festival showcase, the discourse flowing through the gallery on opening night centered on quantum physics, oneness, individual consciousness, string theory, reality and perception.

The Visual Art Installation was open to the end of October, while video feedback jam sessions, a 24-hour shortwave radio recording and on-camera interviews of all the artists, musicians, poets and performers took place. Creative work in the now-altered Artists’ Books was scanned for publishing and the video documentary.

 

The Artist Books, the A440Hz documentary video library, the new music compositions, performance transcriptions and Artist interviews all provide the foundation for the next phase of the project.

The Directors of A440Hz thank the Canada Council for the Arts, Inter-Arts, New Artistic Practice for their generous assistance in the original foundations of this project (2007-2009).

 

Celia King and Joel Snowden